Shock absorber cushion and method of use

A shock absorber for use in a printing process where compression is desired but displacement is not, situated between a printing plate and a plate cylinder surface to compensate for variations in thickness, height, and centricity of the cylinder and plate, the shock absorber comprising:

• an elastomeric body constructed of an elastomeric material for attachment to the surface of a plate cylinder;
• said elastomeric body being made of a predetermined durometer;
• said elastomeric body including a support base having a top surface and a plurality of raised protrusions formed of said elastomeric material;
• said protrusions each having a predetermined height to fit between a printing plate and plate cylinder during printing and cross-sectional shape and spaced apart a predetermined distance forming a void between adjacent protrusions such that a compression between the printing plate and the plate cylinder surface on said elastomeric body will result in a predetermined displacement of said protrusions to compensate for variations in the plate cylinder and plate operation to improve printing quality;
• and
• each said protrusion being continuous along said support base, and having substantially the same length as said support base, each said protrusion surrounding and being continuous around said cylinder leaving the path of least resistance lateral to the side of the geometric shape of each protrusion during compression;
• and
• wherein said protrusions are comprised of a plurality of layered materials, each of a different durometer, resilience or modulus.

A shock absorber for use in a printing process where compression is desired but displacement is not, situated between a printing plate and a plate cylinder surface to compensate for variations in thickness, height and centricity of the cylinder and plate, the shock absorber comprising:

• an elastomeric body constructed of an elastomeric material for attachment to the surface of a plate cylinder;
• said elastomeric body being made of a predetermined durometer;
• said elastomeric body including a support base having a top surface and a plurality of raised protrusions formed of said elastomeric material;
• said protrusions having a predetermined height and cross-sectional shape and spaced apart a predetermined distance such that a compression between the printing plate and the plate cylinder surface on said elastomeric body will result in a predetermined displacement of said protrusions to compensate for variations in the plate cylinder and plate operation to improve printing quality;
• each said protrusion being continuous along said support base, and having substantially the same length as said support base, each said protrusion surrounding and being continuous around said cylinder leaving the path of least resistance lateral to the side of the geometric shape of each protrusion during compression;
• and
• each said protusion is comprised of a different durometer, resilience or modulus.

A method of enhancing the image quality and efficiency of a printing process employing a plate cylinder and a printing plate to compensate for height and centricity errors without substantially increasing printing pressure comprising the steps of:

• providing a printing plate cylinder and an elastomeric body for attachment to the surface of a plate cylinder, said elastomeric body being made of a predetermined durometer, said elastomeric body including a support base and a plurality of raised protrusions formed of said elastomeric material, said protrusions having a predetermined height to fit between said plate cylinder and a printing plate during printing and a predetermined cross-sectional shape longitudinally disposed in the rotational direction of the plate cylinder and spaced apart a predetermined distance such that a compression between said printing plate and the plate cylinder surface on said elastomeric body resulting in a predetermined displacement of said protrusions to compensate for variations in the plate cylinder and plate operation to improve printing quality, each said protrusion being continuous along said support base, and having substantially the same length as said support base, each said protrusion surrounding and being continuous around the plate cylinder in the plate cylinder's rotational direction leaving the path of least resistance lateral to the side of the geometric shape of each protrusion during compression.