Novel device and method for peproducing printed matter

Claim 1

METHOD OF REPRODUCING PRINTED INDICIA CARRIED BY A SEMI-POROUS SUBSTRATE SUCH AS PAPER AND THE LIKE COMPRISING: (A) TREATING THE SUBSTRATE WITH A HYDROCARBON SOLVENT WHICH NORMALLY SWELLS RUBBERS, SAID SOLVENT BEING APPLIED TO THE SUBSTRATE IN AT LEAST AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO SATURATE THE SURFACE AREAS OF SAID SUBSTRATE WHICH DO NOT CONTAIN PRINTED INDICIA BUT IN LESS THAN AN AMOUNT WHICH DAMAGE THE SUBSTRATE AND PRINTED INDICIA; (B) PRESSING INTO WETTING CONTACT WITH SAID SUBSTRATE A REPRODUCING LAMINATE COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE TRANSPARENT SUPPORT SHEET BEARING THEREUPON IN OPTICAL CONTACT THEREWITH A THIN FILM OF A NORMALLY SUBSTANTIALLY TRANSPARENT RUBBERY ORGANIC POLYMER WHICH IS SWELLED WHEN TREATED WITH THE HYDROCARBON SOLVENT OF STEP (A), THE SAID THINFILM BEING DISPOSED UPON THE SURFACE OF THE REPRODUCING LAMINATE WHICH CONTACTS THE SUBSTRATE; (C) MAINTAINING THE CONTACT BETWEEN THE REPRODUCING LAMINATE AND THE SOLVENT-TREATED SUBSTRATE FOR A LENGTH OF TIME SUFFICIENT TO ALLOW THE SOLVENT IN THE SUBSTRATE TO CONTACT THE RUBBERY POLYMER IN THE AREAS CORRESPONDING TO THE AREAS OF THE SUBSTRATE WHERE NO PRINTING APPEARS; (D) SEPARATING THE REPRODUCING SHEET FROM CONTACT WITH THE SUBSTRATE THEREBY RENDERING THE SOLVENT-TREATED AREA OPAQUE; AND (E) APPLYING A SHEET OF OPAQUE DARK-COLORED MATERIAL TO THE SIDE OF THE REPRODUCING LAMINATE WHICH BEARS THE THIN FILM OF RUBBERY POLYMER.