Retractable coater assembly including a coating blanket cylinder
AssigneeDahlgren International, Inc.
InventorsJamie E. Koehler, James E. Taylor, Mark A. DiRico
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An addition to a multi-color lithographic offset printing press comprising a self-contained coating unit moveable into and out of operative relationship with an impression cylinder on the press unit (e.g. the impression cylinder of the last press unit) without interrupting or disrupting printing taking place in this last stage. The coating unit includes a special blanket cylinder, a transfer cylinder and doctor or metering means to control the amount of coating material on the transfer cylinder. Inclined tracks are provided to guide the coating unit into and out of operative relationship with the impression cylinder of the last printing stage.
Claims49
A coating apparatus for applying a liquid coating to a workpiece in co-operation with an impression cylinder mounted on a lithographic printing press, said press having at least one ink carrying surface for applying ink to said workpiece prior to coating, said coating apparatus comprising,
- a) an independent, cooperatively operating coating assembly comprising:
- i) a liquid coating supply means;
- ii) a coating carrier which includes a resilient coating carrying surface for carrying liquid coating;
- iii) a means for metering and transferring liquid coating, operatively connected between said coating supply and said carrying surface, for maintaining a controlled amount of liquid coating on said coating carrying surface;
- and
- iv) structural members integrating said means for metering and transferring liquid coating and said coating carrier into said coating assembly;
- b) supports for allowing movement of said coating assembly between:
- i) an operative position in which said coating surface on said carrying surface is in rotative pressure contact with a workpiece on said press unit impression cylinder;
- and ii) a fully retracted position in which said coating assembly is completely disengaged from said press unit impression cylinder at a location remote from the press unit impression cylinder, said coating assembly, including said coating carrier and said means for metering and transferring coating material, remaining connected during said movement;
- whereby, in said operative position, said carrying surface continuously delivers a smooth, uniform, metered amount of said liquid coating material to said workpiece on said impression cylinder.
Apparatus for applying a uniform and smooth liquid coating, on line, to a printed workpiece in a multicolor sheet-fed lithographic printing press wherein coating is applied to said workpiece while said workpiece is supported and conveyed by an impression cylinder of said press, said coating being applied over wet ink, said apparatus comprising:
- a coating carrier supporting a resilient coating surface in rotative pressure contact with said printed sheet workpieces;
- roller means for metering and transferring a uniform predetermined quantity of coating to said resilient coating surface on said coating carrier;
- coating supply means operatively associated with said roller means;
- means supporting said coating carrier, said roller means and said coating supply means, into a cooperatively operable coating assembly;
- means to adjust pressure between said resilient surface on said coating carrier and said sheet workpiece;
- means to adjust pressure between said roller means and said coating carrier;
- means to rotate said coating carrier such that said resilient surface of said carrier rotates with said sheet workpiece to apply a uniform, smooth coating over wet ink on said sheet workpiece;
- means to rotate said roller means;
- means to actuate said coating carrier from said sheet workpiece to an off-impression position;
- support and guide means for said coating assembly attached to said press;
- and, means to retract said coating assembly including said coating carrier, said roller means and said coating supply means, to a remote position substantially away from said impression cylinder, to provide access to said press upon movement of said coating apparatus.
A method for printing and coating a workpiece, by transmitting said workpiece through a coating apparatus in cooperation with an impression cylinder mounted on a lithographic printing press, said coating apparatus comprising
- a) an independent, cooperatively operating coating assembly comprising:
- i) a liquid coating supply means;
- ii) a coating carrier which includes a resilient coating carrying surface for carrying liquid coating;
- iii) a means for metering and transferring liquid coating, operatively connected between said coating supply and said carrying surface, for maintaining a controlled amount of liquid coating on said coating carrying surface;
- and
- iv) structural members integrating said means for metering and transferring liquid coating and said coating carrier into said coating assembly;
- b) supports for allowing movement of said coating assembly between:
- i) an operative position in which said coating surface on said carrying surface is in rotative pressure contact with a workpiece on said impression cylinder;
- and ii) a fully retracted position in which said coating assembly is completely disengaged from said impression cylinder at a location remote from the impression cylinder, said coating assembly, including said coating carrier and said means for metering and transferring coating material, remaining connected during said movement;
- whereby, in said operative position, said carrying surface continuously delivers a smooth, uniform, metered amount of said liquid coating material to said workpiece on said impression cylinder.
A method for applying a liquid coating to a workpiece, using a coating apparatus operating on line with an impression cylinder of a lithographic printing press, said press having at least one ink carrying surface for applying ink to said workpiece prior to coating, said coating apparatus comprising:
- a) a coating carrier adapted to carry a resilient coating surface in rotative pressure contact with said workpiece supported by said impression cylinder;
- b) a roller means for metering and transferring a uniform predetermined quantity of coating to said resilient coating surface on said coating carrier;
- c) coating supply means operatively associated with said roller means;
- d) a movable support for said coating carrier for moving said coating carrier into and out of contact with said workpiece on said impression cylinder;
- and a movable support for said roller means for moving said roller means into and out of contact with said coating surface on said coating carrier;
- said coating carrier and said roller means being integrated into a unitary assembly;
- said method comprising:
- a) independently actuating said coating carrier movement on the one hand and said roller movement on the other hand;
- b) independently adjusting pressure between said coating surface on said coating carrier and said workpiece on said impression cylinder and pressure between said roller means and said coating surface on said coating carrier;
- and
- c) integrating said impression cylinder with said assembly, such that a change in pressure between said coating surface on said coating carrier and said workpiece on said impression cylinder, or actuation of said carrier into and out of contact with said workpiece, does not alter pressure between said roller means and said coating carrier;
- and such that a change in pressure between said roller means and said coating surface on said coating carrier, or actuation of said roller means into and out of contact with said coating surface on said coating carrier, does not alter pressure between said coating surface on said coating carrier and said workpiece on said impression cylinder.
Coating apparatus operating on line with an impression cylinder of a lithographic printing press to apply liquid coating to a workpiece, said press having at least one ink carrying surface for applying ink to said workpiece prior to coating, said coating apparatus comprising:
- a) a coating carrier adapted to carry a resilient coating surface in rotative pressure contact with said workpiece supported by said impression cylinder;
- b) a roller means for metering and transferring a uniform predetermined quantity of coating to said resilient coating surface on said coating carrier;
- c) coating supply means operatively associated with said roller means;
- d) a movable support for said coating carrier for moving said coating carrier into and out of contact with said workpiece on said impression cylinder;
- e) a movable support for said roller means for moving said roller means into and out of contact with said coating surface on said coating carrier;
- f) means for independently actuating said coating carrier movement on the one hand and said roller movement on the other hand;
- g) means for independently adjusting pressure between said coating surface on said coating carrier and said workpiece on said impression cylinder and pressure between said roller means and said coating surface on said coating carrier;
- h) means for integrating said impression cylinder with said assembly, such that a change in pressure between said coating surface on said coating carrier and said workpiece on said impression cylinder, or actuation of said carrier into and out of contact with said workpiece, does not alter pressure between said roller means and said coating carrier;
- and such that a change in pressure between said roller means and said coating surface on said coating carrier, or actuation of said roller means into and out contact with said coating surface on said coating carrier, does not alter pressure between said coating surface on said coating carrier and said workpiece on said impression cylinder;
- said coating carrier and said roller means being integrated into a unitary assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.