Process and printing press to produce multicolor impressions

A method of printing multicolored impressions on plurality of sheets on a rotary printing press including:

• providing a rotary impression cylinder having a plurality of evenly distributed impression surfaces thereon;
• a plurality of gripper means on said impression cylinder respectively aligned with said impression surfaces;
• a plurality of plate cylinders aligned with said impression cylinder;
• and each of said plate cylinders having plate holding means and an inking mechanism;
• said method comprising the steps of:
• providing a first supply of printing plates;
• rotating said impression cylinder and said plate cylinders;
• sequentially feeding each of said printing plates from said first supply to a respective one of said gripper means;
• transferring said each of said printing plates from said respective one of said gripper means to said plate holding means of a corresponding one of said plate cylinders;
• respectively feeding each sheet of said plurality of sheets to each of said gripper means;
• printing said each sheet by said each of said printing plates as said each sheet rotates past each of said plate cylinders;
• and
• removing said each sheet from said each of said gripper means after said printing.

A rotary printing press for printing on sheets, said press comprising:

• a rotary impression cylinder having at least one impression surface thereon;
• at least one gripper means on said impression cylinder aligned with said at least one impression surface;
• each of said at least one gripper means being capable of selectively gripping and of selectively releasing one of the sheets;
• at least one plate cylinder aligned with said impression cylinder;
• said at least one plate cylinder having plate holding means;
• said plate holding means being capable of selectively receiving a printing plate;
• means for providing a first supply of at least one printing plate;
• a plate feed drum aligned with said impression cylinder and being alignable with said at least one gripper means thereon;
• plate securing means on said plate feeding drum for selectively receiving one of said at least one printing plate thereon and for selectively releasing said one of said printing plates therefrom;
• means for transferring at least one printing plate from said first supply to said plate securing means on said plate feed drum to cause said one of said at least one printing plate to be received thereon;
• said each of said at least one gripper means being capable of selectively gripping and of selectively releasing said one of said at least one printing plate;
• said each of said at least one gripper means being operable for gripping said one of said at least one printing plate from said plate securing means on said plate feed drum when released thereby;
• said impression cylinder having means for rotating said each of said at least one gripper means with said one of said at least one printing plates thereon from said plate feed drum to a selected one of said at least one plate cylinders;
• said each of said gripper means having means for releasing said one of said at least one printing plate and said plate holding means of said selected one of said plate cylinders being operable for receiving said one of said at least one printing plate;
• an inking mechanism aligned with said each of said at least one plate cylinder to provide ink to said one of said at least one printing plates secured by said plate holding means on said each of said at least one plate cylinder;
• means for stacking a plurality of said sheets;
• means for sequentially guiding one of the sheets from said means for stacking to said each of said at least one gripper means for gripping thereby after each said one of said at least one printing plates is on its one of said at least one plate cylinders;
• said impression cylinder with said one of the sheets gripped by said at least one gripper means being rotated past each of said at least one plate cylinders;
• said each of said at least one plate cylinder having its corresponding one of said at least one printing plate from said first supply secured thereon by said plate holding means to cause printing of said one of the sheets;
• and
• means for collecting said one of said sheets upon release of said one of the sheets by its corresponding one gripper means after said impression cylinder and said one of the sheets thereon have rotated past said each of said at least one plate cylinder.