Gap filler blanket for printing cylinder

In a printing cylinder including a core and a blanket, the core having a gap extending laterally along its periphery, means for securing one end of the blanket stationary and a rotatable tensioning bar for attachment to the other end of the blanket to tighten the blanket around the core disposed in the gap, the blanket having an outer layer of elastomeric covering and an inner layer of backing fixed to the covering, the improvement wherein:

• the backing is non-extensible and has a first lateral end for attachment to the tensioning bar and a second lateral end for attachment to the second means:
• the covering extending over and past the gap, said covering having a pair of opposed lateral edges which angle radially outwardly away from the direction of rotation of the cylinder and overlap;
• and
• a yieldable elastomeric filler portion fixed to the first lateral end and to the portion of the covering which extends over the gap, said filler portion abutting the second lateral end and yielding to fill the gap beneath the covering between the first and second lateral ends as the tensioning bar is rotated to tighten the backing and support the covering over the gap so that the printing cylinder has a substantially continuous circular circumference.