Abstract: Embossed decorative sheet-type covering material such as sheet vinyl flooring is prepared by forming a foamed plastic layer over a pigmented layer on a substrate and then selectively crushing the foamed layer by mechanical embossing to produce selectively crushed transparent portions through which the pigmented layer is visible. Printing is normally included on the upper surface of the plastic layer before the latter is foamed and a conventional wear layer is also preferably used. In a preferred embodiment, a foamed undercoat layer is also used to reduce embossing requirements. Conventional materials are preferred, such as latex coated felt for the substrate, cured, foamed polyvinyl chloride organosol or plastisol for the foamed layers and cured, clear polyvinyl chloride organosol for the wear layer.

Abstract: Decorative sheet materials such as foamed vinyl floor coverings comprising, preferably, a base or substrate such as asbestos felt, a layer of foam or cellular resin material on the base having portions of different thickness providing a relief pattern, the foam of the lands having relatively large cells and the foam of the valleys being crushed and having smaller cells with cell walls bonded to each other, a layer of non-cellular transparent resin material overlying both the land and valley areas of the relief pattern, and a printed color pattern or design being provided between the foam resin layer and the transparent resin layer, with colored areas of the pattern or design in accurate registration with and/or predetermined relation to the crushed or valley areas of the foam layer. In addition to the relief and color patterns, the product may also have a third pattern effect in registration with the relief and color patterns, i.e.