Offset lithographic printing press including a gapless tubular printing blanket

An offset lithographic printing press for reducing vibrations and slippage of a printing surface in the printing press to reduce smearing of a printed image printed on a printed product, the printing press comprising:

• a plate cylinder;
• a printing plate mounted to the plate cylinder;
• a blanket cylinder engageable with the plate cylinder, the blanket cylinder including an aperture on an outer surface of the blanket cylinder for transmitting compressed air;
• a drive assembly for rotating the plate cylinder and the blanket cylinder;
• a removable cylindrical printing blanket mounted on the blanket cylinder, the removable cylindrical printing blanket including:
• a backing layer including an elastically expandable cylindrical sleeve,
• a gapless and seamless cylindrical compressible layer over said sleeve, said compressible layer including a circumferentially endless tubular body of elastomeric material, a plurality of voids distributed throughout said circumferentially endless tubular body of elastomeric material,
• a gapless and seamless cylindrical inextensible layer over said compressible layer, said inextensible layer including a circumferentially inextensible material embedded in a gapless and seamless tubular body of elastomeric material,
• a cylindrical printing layer over said inextensible layer, said printing layer having a gapless and seamless printing surface for transferring an image from the plate cylinder to the printed product;
• and
• a blanket installation mechanism, the blanket installation mechanism applying compressed air through the aperture to expand the elastically expandable sleeve for installation and removal of the printing blanket.

An offset lithographic printing press for reducing vibrations and slippage of a printing surface in the printing press to reduce smearing of a printed image printed on a printed product, the printing press comprising:

• a plate cylinder having a printing plate mounted thereon;
• a blanket cylinder engageable with the plate cylinder;
• a drive assembly for rotating the plate cylinder and the blanket cylinder;
• a removable cylindrical printing blanket mounted on the blanket cylinder, the removable cylindrical printing blanket including:
• a backing layer comprising an elastically expandable cylindrical sleeve;
• an intermediate layer including a lower portion and an upper portion,
• the lower portion including a thread encapsulated in a rubber cement containing microspheres, said thread encapsulated in a rubber cement containing microspheres being wound around the backing layer to form a first radial winding around said backing layer, said radial winding of thread, cement and microspheres forming a first gapless and seamless layer,
• the upper portion including another thread encapsulated in a rubber cement without any voids, said another thread encapsulated in a rubber cement without any microspheres being wound around the first radial Winding to form a second radial winding, said second radial winding of thread and cement forming a second gapless and seamless layer;
• and
• an outer print layer overlying the intermediate layer, the outer print layer being gapless and seamless for providing a continuous printing surface, the outer printing layer transferring a printed image from the plate cylinder to the printed product.

An offset lithographic printing press for reducing vibrations and slippage of a printing surface in the printing press to reduce smearing of a printed image printed on a printed product, the printing press comprising:

• a plate cylinder;
• a printing plate mounted to the plate cylinder;
• a blanket cylinder engageable with the plate cylinder, the blanket cylinder including an aperture on an outer surface of the blanket cylinder for transmitting compressed air;
• a drive assembly for rotating the plate cylinder and the blanket cylinder;
• a removable cylindrical printing blanket mounted on the blanket cylinder, the removable cylindrical printing blanket including:
• a cylindrical sleeve movable axially over the blanket cylinder,
• a gapless and seamless cylindrical compressible layer over said sleeve, said compressible layer including a first circumferentially endless tubular body of elastomeric material containing voids and a thread extending helically through said first circumferentially endless tubular body of elastomeric material and around said sleeve,
• a gapless and seamless cylindrical inextensible layer over said compressible layer, said inextensible layer including a circumferentially inextensible material,
• a cylindrical printing layer over said inextensible layer, said printing layer having a gapless and seamless cylindrical printing surface, the cylindrical printing layer transferring an image from the printing plate to the printed product;
• and
• a blanket installation mechanism, the blanket installation mechanism applying compressed air through the aperture to expand the elastically expandable sleeve for installation and removal of the printing blanket.

An offset lithographic printing press for reducing vibrations and slippage of a printing surface in the printing press to reduce smearing of a printed image printed on a web, the printing press comprising:

• an ink fountain;
• a plate cylinder;
• a printing plate mounted on the plate cylinder;
• a plurality of rolls for transferring ink from the ink fountain to the printing plate;
• a blanket cylinder engageable with the plate cylinder;
• a drive assembly for rotating the plate cylinder and the blanket cylinder;
• a removable cylindrical printing blanket mounted on the blanket cylinder, the removable cylindrical printing blanket including:
• a backing layer including an elastically expandable cylindrical sleeve,
• a gapless and seamless cylindrical compressible layer over said sleeve, said compressible layer including a circumferentially endless tubular body of elastomeric material, a plurality of voids distributed throughout said circumferentially endless tubular body of elastomeric material,
• a gapless and seamless cylindrical inextensible layer over said compressible layer, said inextensible layer including a circumferentially inextensible material embedded in a gapless and seamless tubular body of elastomeric material, and
• a cylindrical printing layer over said inextensible layer, said printing layer having a gapless and seamless printing surface for transferring an image from the printing plate to the web.

An offset lithographic printing press for reducing vibrations and slippage of a printing surface in the printing press to reduce smearing of a printed image printed on a printed product, the printing press comprising:

• a plate cylinder having a printing plate mounted thereon;
• a blanket cylinder engageable with the plate cylinder;
• a drive assembly for rotating the plate cylinder and the blanket cylinder;
• a removable cylindrical printing blanket mounted on the blanket cylinder, the removable cylindrical printing blanket including:
• a backing layer including an elastically expandable cylindrical sleeve,
• a gapless and seamless cylindrical compressible layer over said sleeve, said compressible layer including a circumferentially endless tubular body of elastomeric material, a plurality of voids distributed throughout said circumferentially endless tubular body of elastomeric material,
• a gapless and seamless cylindrical inextensible layer over said compressible layer, said inextensible layer including a circumferentially inextensible material embedded in a gapless and seamless tubular body of elastomeric material, said inextensible layer having a gapless and seamless printing surface for transferring an image from the plate cylinder to the printed product.

An offset lithographic printing press for reducing vibrations and slippage of a printing surface in the printing press to reduce smearing of a printed image printed on a web, the printing press comprising:

• an ink fountain;
• a plate cylinder;
• a printing plate mounted on the plate cylinder;
• a plurality of rolls for transferring ink from the ink fountain to the printing plate;
• a blanket cylinder engageable with the plate cylinder, the blanket cylinder including an aperture on an outer surface of the blanket cylinder for transmitting compressed air;
• a drive assembly for rotating the plate cylinder and the blanket cylinder;
• a removable cylindrical printing blanket mounted on the blanket cylinder, the removable cylindrical printing blanket including:
• a backing layer including an elastically expandable cylindrical sleeve,
• a gapless and seamless cylindrical compressible layer over said sleeve, said compressible layer including a circumferentially endless tubular body of elastomeric material, a plurality of voids distributed throughout said circumferentially endless tubular body of elastomeric material,
• a gapless and seamless cylindrical inextensible layer over said compressible layer, said inextensible layer including a seamless tubular body of elastomeric material having a modulus of elasticity between 2500 and 10,000 lbs./in.sup.2 at 72.degree. F. and 100 percent elongation, and
• a cylindrical printing layer over said inextensible layer, said printing layer having a gapless and seamless printing surface for transferring an image from the printing plate to the web;
• and
• a blanket installation mechanism, the blanket installation mechanism applying compressed air through the aperture to expand the elastically expandable sleeve for installation and removal of the printing blanket.