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US 5,630,363 AGranted
Combined lithographic/flexographic printing apparatus and process
AssigneeWilliamson Printing Corporation
InventorsBill L. Davis, Jesse S. Williamson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A combined lithographic/flexographic printing process having a plurality of successive printing stations for printing color images on a substrate in a continuous in-line process. One of the stations prints a first color image using the flexographic process and at least one of the successive printing stations prints a second color image over the first color image using an offset lithographic process in the continuous in-line process.
Claims41
Apparatus for a combined lithographic/flexographic printing process comprising:
- a substrate;
- a plurality of successive printing stations for printing color images on the substrate in a continuous in-line process;
- one of said stations comprising a flexographic printing station for printing a liquid vehicle image on said substrate with a slurry containing an encapsulated essence using the flexographic process;
- at least one of said successive printing stations being a lithographic printing station;
- and
- an overcoating applied over the liquid vehicle image on the printed substrate at at least one of said successive lithographic printing stations using the lithographic process in said continuous in-line process.
3 more elements
Apparatus for a combined lithographic/flexographic printing process comprising:
- a plurality of successive printing stations for printing color images on a substrate in a continuous in-line process;
- one of said stations comprising a flexographic printing station printing an aqueous-based vehicle image using the flexographic process to form a metallic coating;
- a suspended metallic material being included in said aqueous-based vehicle image;
- and
- at least one of the successive printing stations comprising an offset lithographic printing station printing a color image over the aqueous-based vehicle image using the offset lithographic process in said continuous in-line process.
2 more elements
Apparatus for creating a combined lithographic/flexographic printing process comprising:
- a plurality of successive printing stations for printing color images on a substrate in a continuous in-line process;
- one of said stations comprising a flexographic printing station for printing a first color image using the flexographic process;
- and
- at least one of the successive printing stations comprising an offset lithographic printing station for printing a second color image over the first color image using the offset lithographic process in said continuous in-line process.
1 more element
Apparatus for creating a combined lithographic/flexographic printing process comprising:
- a substrate;
- a plurality of successive printing stations for printing color images on the substrate in a continuous in-line process;
- at least two successive ones of said printing stations being flexography stations and comprising:
- (1) a supply of liquid coating;
- (2) a plate cylinder associated with a blanket cylinder, said plate cylinder having a flexographic plate thereon;
- (3) an anilox roller associated with said liquid supply coating and said plate cylinder for delivering said liquid coating to said flexographic plate to form an image for transfer to said blanket cylinder;
- (4) an impression cylinder for receiving said liquid coating image transferred from said blanket cylinder and printing said image on said substrate, said at least two flexography stations printing the same liquid coating image in sequence and in superimposed relationship;
- and
- at least one offset lithographic printing station for receiving said substrate and printing over said liquid coating image.
6 more elements
Apparatus for a combined lithographic/flexographic printing process comprising:
- a plurality of successive printing stations for printing color images on a substrate in a continuous in-line process, said printing stations including both lithographic and flexographic printing stations;
- a blanket cylinder at at least a first one of said flexographic printing stations;
- flexographic ink-providing means at said at least first one of said flexographic printing stations for applying a flexographic ink to said blanket cylinder to form an image;
- a substrate for receiving said flexographic ink image transferred from said blanket cylinder;
- and
- at least one subsequent lithographic printing station in said in-line process for receiving said image printed substrate and printing an additional colored ink image on said substrate on top of said flexographic ink image using offset lithography.
3 more elements
Apparatus for a combined lithographic/flexographic printing process for printing a multicolored image comprising:
- a plurality of successive printing stations for printing color on a substrate in a continuous in-line process, said printing stations including both lithographic and flexographic printing stations;
- at least one of said flexographic printing stations having:
- (1) a plate cylinder and a blanket cylinder, said plate cylinder including a flexographic plate having an image thereon for transferring a flexographic color ink image to said blanket cylinder;
- (2) an etched anilox roller for applying a flexographic color ink to said flexographic plate on said plate cylinder;
- (3) an impression cylinder in ink-transfer relationship with said blanket cylinder for transferring said flexographic color ink image from said blanket cylinder to said substrate;
- and
- at least one of said succeeding printing stations being a lithographic printing station using offset lithography for printing additional colored ink images on top of said flexographic ink image.
4 more elements
A method of combining lithography and flexographic printing in a continuous in-line process comprising the steps of:
- providing a plurality of successive lithographic/flexographic printing stations for printing colored ink images on a substrate;
- printing a flexographic ink image on said substrate at at least one of said flexographic stations;
- transferring said printed substrate to at least one subsequent printing station in said continuous in-line process;
- and
- printing colored ink images on top of said flexographic ink image at at least one of said subsequent lithographic printing stations with an offset lithographic process.
2 more elements
A method of combining offset lithography and flexographic printing in a continuous in-line process comprising the steps of:
- providing a substrate;
- applying a flexographic ink to a blanket cylinder in a pattern with a coating head at a first flexographic printing station;
- transferring said pattern of flexographic ink from said blanket cylinder to the substrate;
- and
- printing a waterless ink pattern over said flexographic ink pattern on said substrate at at least one subsequent offset lithographic printing station in said continuous in-line process.
2 more elements
A method of combining lithography and flexographic printing in a continuous in-line process comprising the steps of:
- printing an aqueous-based vehicle image having suspended particles therein on a substrate at a first flexographic printing station;
- transferring said image printed substrate to at least one additional printing station in said continuous in-line process;
- and
- printing additional colored ink images on said printed substrate over said aqueous-based vehicle image in an offset lithographic process at said at least one additional printing station in said in-line process.
1 more element
A method of combining lithography and flexographic printing in a continuous in-line process comprising the steps of:
- (1) providing a plurality of successive printing stations for printing liquid vehicle images on a substrate in said in-line continuous process;
- (2) utilizing an anilox roller to transfer a liquid ink as said liquid vehicle to a flexographic plate image at at least one of said printing stations;
- (3) printing said liquid ink from said flexographic plate image to a substrate;
- (4) transferring said printed substrate with said liquid ink image to a subsequent printing station in said in-line printing process;
- (5) repeating steps (2)-(4) at subsequent printing stations in said in-line process to achieve a desired opacity ink image on said substrate;
- and
- (6) printing an ink pattern over said flexographic ink image using an offset lithographic process.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.