Apparatus for reducing procession of a printing blanket

An apparatus for reducing procession of a gapless tubular printing blanket in an offset printing press caused by at least one advancing fluid wave having a certain pressure, comprising:

• a gapless tubular printing blanket having an inner circumference;
• a blanket cylinder having a circumferential surface and having an outer circumference which is greater than the inner circumference of the printing blanket, said circumferential surface adapted to receive the gapless tubular printing blanket for mounting thereon,
• means for radially expanding the gapless tubular printing blanket during installation of the printing blanket onto and removal of the printing blanket from the blanket cylinder;
• a print cylinder in rolling engagement with the blanket cylinder;
• and
• means extending axially across a length of the blanket cylinder circumferential surface, for connecting an interface of the blanket cylinder and the printing blanket to a low pressure region, said interface enclosing a fluid wave between the blanket cylinder and the printing blanket, said low pressure region having a pressure lower than the pressure at the interface, said connecting means thereby allowing the fluid wave in the interface to escape to the low pressure region.