Color head for offset press

Abstract

This invention relates to a color head for an offset press for printing curved articles such as cups, cans, tubes and the like and sheet-like or flat articles such as paper, metals, synthetic resins, and the like. In order to supply the quantity of ink necessary for each article to be printed onto the plate of a plate cylinder for printing the article, an ink roller rotatably provided inside an ink fountain is caused to rock during each printing cycle, in which one article is printed, by cam rings on the sides of the form roller and by rocking levers operated by these cam rings, and is brought into contact with the form roller within a predetermined angular area of the form roller. The quantity of ink supplied can be adjusted continuously without any steps, either manually or automatically, whenever necessary. The roller system used in the invention has a reduced number of rollers so as to shorten the path of the ink and to print each article with a uniform, suitable quantity of ink. The color head is especially suitable as the color head for an offset press for printing the surface of mass-produced cans or tubes.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.