Abstract: Display information is revealed from behind a metal film that can be cleared upon effective contact with a clearing agent. The metal film, while opaque, is generally less than 1000 Angstroms thick and can be cleared by exposure to innocuous agents including food or other household products.

Abstract: Printed electrochemical display cells are arranged in layer form with two electrode layers and an electrolyte layer occupying distinct areas of a substrate. When activated, an electrochemical reaction progressively increases the area occupied by the electrolyte layer and progressively decreases the area occupied by the thin-film electrode layer. The thin-film electrode layer recedes at a boundary in common with the electrolyte layer and provides an irreversible indication of change at a rate governed by the electrochemical reaction.

Abstract: Printed electrochemical cells including both power cells and display cells are arranged in a partially assembled condition to extend shelf life of the cells. The partially assembled condition is also used as a switching mechanism for controlling activation of some of the cells. The active components of the cells include two electrodes and an electrolyte layer that is maintained out of contact with at least one of the electrodes for interrupting an ionically conductive pathway between the electrodes. The electrolyte is preferably an electrolytic adhesive that is protected by a release layer until the cells are needed for service.

Abstract: Printed electrochemical display cells are arranged in layer form with two electrode layers and an electrolyte layer occupying distinct areas of a substrate. An electrolyte layer overlaps most of one electrode layer but contacts a smaller portion of the other electrode layer, which is made of a thin film. When activated, an electrochemical reaction progressively increases the area occupied by the electrolyte layer and progressively decreases the area occupied by the thin-film electrode layer. The thin-film electrode layer recedes at a boundary in common with the electrolyte layer and provides an irreversible indication of change at a rate governed by the electrochemical reaction.

Abstract: An electrochemical display cell has a layered construction including two electrode layers separated by a dielectric layer. Concentric openings are formed in the dielectric layer and one of the electrode layers exposing a designated portion of the other electrode layer. An electrolyte layer overlaps the one electrode layer and the designated portion of the other electrode layer. When activated, current flow cascades through the openings in the one electrode layer and the dielectric layer to the designated portion of the other electrode layer supporting an electrochemical reaction that erodes the designated portion revealing underlying visual information.

Abstract: A label comprised of at least two coupled plies is disclosed that incorporates a removable game on the inside face of an outer ply. The outer ply is adhered to an inner ply along two of its edges. The game piece, which is printed to the inside face of an outer ply between the two adhered edges of the outer ply, is removable from the label by sequentially tearing the game piece from the two edges. A suitable label construction is further disclosed in which the game piece incorporates removable scratch off coatings.

Abstract: A printing station conveys a supply of molten lithium from a heated tank to a nozzle within a protective shroud. A web traverses a chiller also within the shroud. The nozzle dispenses discrete amounts of the molten lithium onto successive portions of the web in contact with the chiller. The chilled lithium solidifies into solid lithium patterns. A sealer also within the shroud prevents exposure of the solid lithium patterns to ambient air. The station can be incorporated into an in-line press for forming a succession of electrochemical cells.

Abstract: A clear/printed hang tag, a hanging system for suspending a package of products from a single wire hanger and/or a double wire hanger, automatic labeling of product packaging on a billboard, and the process for making hang tags. The hang tag has an opening for receiving a single or a double wire hanger cut near the top of a billboard region containing printed matter. The hang tag is made from a continuous web of polyester film with a process including, printing graphics on the back side of the upper portion using reverse image flexographic printing, coating the printed image with a UV cured, opaque ink coating, a lower portion of the front side with a clear, pressure sensitive adhesive, combining and adhering the continuous web of polyester film to a release liner, die cutting the hang tag shape and the hanger opening, stripping the waste material from the liner, and rewinding the combined hang tags and liner on a reel for shipment to a customer.

Abstract: A label comprised of at least two coupled plies is disclosed that can incorporate a removable game on the inside face of the centerpiece region of an outer ply. An edge region on the outer ply, which circumscribes the centerpiece region, is adhered to an inner ply. A weakened region separates the edge region from the centerpiece region so that the centerpiece region is removable from the label by first decoupling a segment of the centerpiece region from the edge region of the outer ply, and then grasping and pulling the centerpiece region from the label to decouple it completely from the label.

Abstract: The invention is a printed product hanger construction to be used in packaging fabric products especially multiple pairs of socks. The invention consists of a pressure sensitive band that wraps two pairs of socks on one side of a hanger portion and one pair of socks on the other side of the hanger portion. Pressure sensitive adhesive adheres to the socks, thus securing them to the package. A hanger portion of the band protrudes above the remainder of the band and contains the hanger opening for displaying the socks on a pegboard. The hanging region has an opening for receiving a single or a double wire hanger cut near the top of a billboard region containing printed matter.

Abstract: The hanging region (33) of a supporting web (31) of a hang tab (30) adhered to a supported object is cut and is bendable to form an opening divided between a central region that receives a single wire hanger (20) and end regions (38) that receive a double wire hanger (24). Uncut tension zones (40) between the central region and the end regions (38) are breakable to receive double wire hanger (24), but remain unbroken to help support the weight of an object hanging on single wire hanger (20).

Abstract: Hand tabs (25) are reinforced by adhering a reinforcing band (14) to a head region (22) of a tab strip (11) while the adhesive coated surface of the tab strip is separated from a release liner (13). Tab strip (11), with its reinforcing band (14), is then rejoined with its liner (13); and hang tabs (25) with reinforced head regions (22) are die cut so that the tabs are secured in rows on the liner. This places reinforcing band (14) on the front faces of tabs (25), where their adhesive coating adheres them to objects or packages.

Abstract: A hang tab (10) is folded on itself, and its hanging region (15) is adhered to its stick-on region (20) so that it lies flat against a package (30) during shipment. The adhesive (25) between the hanging region and the stick-on region is arranged so that the hanging region can be unfolded after shipment to be upstanding from object (30), for hanging the object on a hanger wire. The adhesive bond can be made weak enough to break when the hanging region (15) is unfolded, or the bond can be stronger and can adhere an opening flap (16) to stick-on region (20) so that the unfolded hanging region has an opening (26) ready to receive a hanger wire.

Abstract: Hanging regions (22) of hang tags (25) are reinforced by a permanently bonded portion of a liner strip (11), an uncut portion of which releasably carries a row of die cut hang tabs. Liner strip (11) has a release coating on edge regions (16) where stick-on regions (23) of die cut hang tabs are releasably carried. The reinforced head regions (22) of the hang tabs are die cut through both the tab strip (12) and liner strip (11), and the stick-on regions of the tab strips are die cut only through the tab strip so that uncut liner edge regions (16) releasably carry a row of hang tabs.

Abstract: A recording tape carrier is attachable to a card or photograph and carries a magnetic recording tape that is usable in the recording slot of a magnetic recorder. A support card has a linear reference edge, and an abutment card is secured to a face surface of the support card to have an abutment edge extending along a mid-region of the support card and parallel with the reference edge. Adhesive covered by a release sheet is coated on the face surface of the support card in a region not occupied by the abutment card, and a strip of magnetic recording tape is secured to the support card or the abutment card to extend parallel with the reference edge. The release sheet is removable for securing the assembly to a card or photograph by means of the adhesive with the abutment edge engaging an edge of the card or photograph, and the magnetic tape is prerecordable and can be played back or recorded while secured to a card or photograph.

Abstract: A drive reducer for a tape recorder accomplishes a large reduction from the surface speed of a motor-driven shaft to the surface speed of a drive element for advancing a tape media such as a magnetic recording tape on a flat card. A cup-shaped element is fixed to a reducer shaft and positioned so that the inner surface of a cylindrical outer wall engages the motor-driven shaft. An idler wheel freely rotatable on the reducer shaft is positioned radially inside the cup-shaped element and is formed of compressible material with a diameter large enough for compressibly engaging the motor-driven shaft and pressing it against the inner surface of the outer wall of the cup-shaped element. Rotation of the reducer shaft is transferred to the driven element preferably by a friction sleeve on the reducer shaft and a friction disk engaging the sleeve and turning a shaft supporting the driven element.