Method and apparatus for printing with a lithographic sleeve
AssigneeTittgemeyer Engineering
InventorUdo Tittgemeyer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A printing method and apparatus which use a sleeve-shaped printing form attached to a rotating body. The sleeve-shaped form conveniently permits the printing operation to be performed continuously and on both sides of the print carrier simultaneously. The sleeves preferably exhibit a number of process-specific functional layers. Exemplary layers are: (1) a supporting metal sleeve, (2) an intermediate metal layer for carrying the ink, and (3) a surface metal layer for carrying the water. Copper is an exemplary intermediate layer, and chromium is used as the surface metal layer.
Claims23
A method for offset printing comprising:
- releasably mounting a sleeve-shaped print form to a cylindrical rotating body, said sleeve-shaped print form comprising a first material layer for absorbing water and a second material layer for absorbing ink, by frictionally fitting and radially supporting an inner surface of said sleeve-shaped print form to an outer surface of said rotating body along a longitudinal extent of said print form;
- contacting said sleeve-shaped print form with an ink;
- printing a carrier material with ink from said second material layer;
- completing the printing of said carrier material;
- unilaterally releasing a single end of said rotating body from a frame-mounted bearing;
- removing said print form from said rotating body by axially pulling said print form past said end of said rotating body connected to a releasable bearing;
- replacing said print form with a second sleeve-shaped print form by axially inserting said second print form over said end of said rotating body;
- engaging said rotating body through said releasable bearing with said frame;
- and
- printing a carrier material.
An offset printing apparatus comprising:
- a cylindrical rotating body bearingly supported in a frame;
- a releasable bearing connected to said frame and supporting an end of said cylindrical rotating body;
- a sleeve-shaped print form comprising a first water absorbing layer and a second ink retaining layer defining an ink transferring pattern deposited on an outer surface and a third support layer defining an inner support layer supporting said first and second layers, said sleeve-shaped form is mounted and radially supported on said cylindrical rotating body;
- wherein said sleeve-shaped print form exhibits a low wall thickness relative to a diameter of said print form;
- an ink transfer cylinder rotatingly mounted in said frame adjacent to said sleeve-shaped print form;
- and
- an inking unit and a wetting unit mounted on said frame, adjacent to said sleeve-shaped print form;
- wherein said apparatus is configured to allow axial removal of said print form from said cylindrical rotating body without removal of said rotating body from said frame.
An offset printing apparatus comprising:
- a frame;
- a first stationary bearing connected to said frame;
- a second releasable bearing connected to said frame and releasably connected to said cylindrical rotating body;
- a sleeve-shaped print form comprising at least a first water absorbing layer and a second ink retaining layer defining an ink transferring pattern deposited on an outer surface and a third support layer defining an inner support layer supporting said first and second layers, said sleeve-shaped form is mounted and radially supported on said cylindrical rotating body;
- an ink transfer cylinder rotatingly mounted in said frame adjacent to said sleeve-shaped print form;
- and
- an inking unit and a wetting unit mounted on said frame, adjacent to said sleeve-shaped print form;
- wherein said first and second bearings, said frame and said cylindrical rotating body are configured to allow axial installation and removal of said print form over said cylindrical rotating body with said cylindrical rotating body fixed to said first bearing and released from said second bearing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.