Method and apparatus for use in offset printing
OwnerJoseph R. Frazzittainventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a printing method, an electrically encoded image to be transferred to a printing substrate during a printing process is provided in an electronic memory. A flexible carrier web is attached under tension to a cutting cylinder identical in dimensions to a blanket or printing cylinder of a printing machine. The curing cylinder may be a blanket or printing cylinder in a printing machine or a dedicated support cylinder in a stand-alone cutting assembly. The carrier web is cut automatically in accordance with the electrically encoded image after attachment of the carrier web to the cutting cylinder. Subsequently, sections of the carrier web are removed therefrom along cut lines made in the carrier web during the cutting thereof.
Claims24
A method used in offset printing, comprising:
- providing, in an electronic memory, an electrically encoded image to be transferred to a printing substrate during a printing process;
- attaching a flexible carrier sheet under tension to a rotatably mounted cutting cylinder identical in dimensions to a blanket or printing cylinder of a printing machine;
- after attachment of said carrier sheet to said cutting cylinder, automatically cutting said carrier sheet in accordance with said electrically encoded image;
- removing at least one section of said carrier sheet along cut lines made in said carrier sheet during the cutting thereof;
- and
- using the cut carrier sheet, with the section removed therefrom, on the blanket or printing cylinder of the printing machine to transfer an ink or coating composition to the printing substrate.
An apparatus used in offset printing, comprising:
- a memory for storing an electrically encoded image to be transferred to a printing substrate during a printing process;
- a rotatable cylinder;
- coupling elements on said cylinder for removably attaching a carrier sheet under tension to said cylinder;
- a cutting device for forming continuous curvilinear cuts in said carrier sheet attached to said cylinder;
- and
- a controller operatively connected to said memory and said cutting device for controlling said cutting device to form, in said carrier sheet in accordance with said electrically encoded image, continuous curvilinear cuts defining removable closed forms in said carrier sheet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.