Multi-color, single-plate printing press
OwnerPaul T. Riekerinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A printing unit system produces multi-color printing employing a single plate cylinder of a first diameter and a pair of blanket cylinders of a second diameter one-half that of the plate cylinder. The blanket cylinders impact associated impression cylinders, also of the second diameter, at the paper path and, in one embodiment, the two impression cylinders mate with a transfer cylinder. By using blanket and impression cylinders having portions with different diameter, multi-color, superimposed images are printed, two colors at a time. The images for the various colors are produced on a single film under computer control for creation of plates for mounting on the plate cylinder and are not adjustable with respect to one another.
Claims10
A printing unit comprising a single plate cylinder of a first diameter and first and second blanket cylinders of a second diameter equal to one-half of said first diameter, said plate cylinder including means for connecting to the surface thereof a plate including a sequence of first, second, third and fourth images each of said images being in a fixed position with respect to one another and occupying one-quarter of the circumference of said plate cylinder, each of said blanket cylinders having a recessed surface over half of it's circumference, said printing unit including means for rotating synchronously said plate cylinder and said blanket cylinders about respective axes such that said first blanket cylinder contacts said plate cylinder only at the position of said first and third images and said second blanket cylinder contacts said plate cylinder only at the positions of said second and fourth images, said printing unit also including first and second impression cylinders juxtaposed and associated, respectively, with said first and second blanket cylinders and having a paper path therebetween, said impression cylinders also having said second diameter, said printing unit also including first, second, third and fourth inking means and means for applying ink from said inking means to respective ones of said images controllably.
A printing unit, said unit including a single plate cylinder having a circumference and being rotatable about a first axis, said circumference having first, second, third and fourth image areas defined thereabout, said unit also including first and second blanket cylinders, each of said blanket cylinders having defined thereon an image contact area, said blanket cylinders being juxtaposed with said plate cylinder and rotatable about respective axes such that the image contact area of said first blanket cylinder contacts only said first and third image areas of said plate cylinder and said image contact area of said second blanket cylinder contacts only said second and fourth image areas of said plate cylinder, said unit also including first and second impression cylinders juxtaposed and associated, respectively, with said first and second blanket cylinders and having a paper path therebetween, said unit also including first, second, third and fourth inking means and means for applying ink from said inking means to respective ones of said four images controllably.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.