Printing machine with laser perforating
AssigneeKBA-Giori S.A.
InventorsJohannes Georg Schaede, Johann Emil Eitel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
There is described a printing machine for printing sheets, in particular sheets for the production of securities, banknotes, passports, ID cards and other valuable documents, comprising at least a sheet feeder, a printing unit, a delivery unit with delivery piles for the printed sheets and a sheet transport system for transporting the printed sheets along a transporting path from the printing unit to the delivery piles. The printing machine further comprises a laser perforating unit with at least one laser head disposed along the transporting path of the sheet transport system for perforating the printed sheets, and a first aspiration unit to maintain the printed sheets against an aspiration surface during perforation by said laser perforating unit.
Claims18
A laser perforating system for applying at least one perforation pattern onto printed sheets, in particular sheets for the production of securities, banknotes, passports, ID cards and other valuable documents, comprising
- a sheet transport system for transporting the printed sheets along a transporting path,
- a laser perforating unit with at least one laser head disposed along the transporting path of the sheet transport system for perforating said printed sheets, and
- a first aspiration unit to maintain the printed sheets against an aspiration surface of the first aspiration unit during perforation by said laser perforating unit, said aspiration surface being part of the first aspiration unit and non-movable in the direction of sheet transportation;
- said first aspiration unit being disposed between said laser perforation unit and said transporting path of the sheet transport system and comprising at least one opening in said aspiration surface through which is directed said at least one laser head,
- wherein the first aspiration unit is distinct from and not a part of the sheet transport system,
- wherein the sheet transport system is able to transport the sheets in front of the sheet perforation system and relative to the aspiration surface of the first aspiration unit while the sheets are being perforated and
- wherein the sheet transport system is configured to take separate, successive sheets from a first pile;
- wherein said sheet transport system is a chain gripper system comprising a plurality of gripper bars each carrying a plurality of grippers for holding a leading edge of the sheets, the plurality of grippers of the sheet transport system passing in front of the aspiration surface.
A production process for applying at least one perforation pattern onto printed sheets, in particular sheets for the production of securities, banknotes, passports, ID cards and other valuable documents, comprising the following steps:
- a) transporting separate, successive sheets along a transporting path of a sheet transportation system in front of a laser perforating unit;
- b) aspirating the sheets against an aspiration surface of an aspiration unit in front of the laser perforating unit, wherein the aspiration unit is distinct from and not a part of the sheet transportation system, said aspiration unit being disposed between said laser perforation unit and said transporting path of the sheet transportation system and comprising at least one opening in said aspiration surface through which is directed said at least one laser head, said aspiration surface being part of the aspiration unit and non-movable in the direction of sheet transportation;
- c) while the sheets are being aspirated against said aspiration surface, and transported past the laser perforating unit and relative to the aspiration surface, perforating the sheets by means of the laser perforating unit;
- wherein said sheet transportation system is a chain gripper system comprising a plurality of gripper bars each carrying a plurality of grippers for holding a leading edge of the sheets, the plurality of grippers of the sheet transportation system passing in front of the aspiration surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.