Multi-color printing press

In a printing press the combination comprising;

• a multiple segmented impression cylinder,
• a multiple segmented printing cylinder for printing contact therewith, and
• gripper means to hold a sheet to be printed on each segment of said impression cylinder for a number of revolutions equal to the number of segments on said printing cylinder,
• whereby multiple designs may be successively printed on each said sheet with a single gripping on said impression cylinder.

In a printing press, the combination comprising;

• a rotary impression cylinder having a plurality of circumferential segments, each said segments being provided with gripper means to grip a single sheet for printing,
• at least one rotary blanket cylinder mounted and arranged for printing contact with said impression cylinder, said blanket cylinder having a plurality of circumferential blanket segments of the same length as the impression cylinder segments and arranged to successively register in printing contact therewith during rotation of said cylinders, and
• a segmented rotary plate cylinder carrying different designs on the segments thereof mounted and arranged for contact with said blanket cylinder,
• said plate cylinder being of equal diameter with the blanket cylinder and having the same number of segments for successive registry therewith during rotation,
• whereby multiple designs may be successively printed on each sheet carried by each segment of said impression cylinder.

In a multi-color printing press, the combination comprising;

• a rotary impression cylinder having a plurality of circumferential segments, each said segments being provided with gripping means to grip a single sheet for printing,
• a plurality of rotary blanket cylinders mounted and arranged about the periphery of said impression cylinder for movement off and on printing contact with said impression cylinder,
• said blanket cylinders being equal in diameter and having an equal number of circumferential blanket segments of the same length as the impression cylinder segments and arranged to successively register in printing contact therewith during rotation of said cylinders,
• the number of segments on said impression cylinder being equal to the number of segments on each blanket cylinder multiplied by a whole number, plus one additional segment, and said gripping means holding a sheet to be printed on each segment of said impression cylinder for a number of revolutions equal to the number of segments on one of said blanket cylinders,
• a plurality of segmented rotary plate cylinders mounted and arranged for movement off and on contact with respective ones of said blanket cylinders,
• said plate cylinders being of equal diameter as the associated blanket cylinder and having the same number of segments thereof arranged to successively register therewith during rotation,
• means for applying a different color printing medium to each segment of said plate cylinders,
• sheet feeding means for feeding sheets to be printed to the gripping means of successive segments of said impression cylinder during rotation, and
• delivery means operatively associated with said gripping means for removing printed sheets from successive segments of said impression cylinder during rotation following the printing of all segments of said blanket cylinders,
• whereby multiple colors may be successively printed on each sheet with a single gripping on said impression cylinder.

A method of printing multiple designs on a single sheet comprising the steps of;

• repeatedly applying a plurality of color designs from multiple segments on a single rotary plate cylinder onto a corresponding number of blanket segments of equal length on a rotary blanket cylinder of equal diameter,
• transferring said color designs from each said blanket segment onto successive sheets held by segments of a rotating impression cylinder,
• the number of segments on said impression cylinder being equal to the number of segments on said blanket cylinder multiplied by a whole number, plus one additional segment, and
• carrying each said sheet on the surface of said impression cylinder for a number of revolutions thereof equal to the number of segments on the blanket cylinder,
• whereby successive sheets carried by the impression cylinder will be printed with successive color designs from said blanket cylinder.