Dahlgren Usa, Inc.

Questech Corporation

Brian M Bargenquest

James E Taylor

Richard W Carlson

There is disclosed a liquid application system for the printing, copying, imaging, converting, and related industries, and more particularly a liquid applicator means for applying moisture and coatings to cut sheets using a system of rolls and controlling surfaces, speeds, pressures, and directions of rotation of same relative to successive sheets passing through the system. In the use of the method and apparatus herein described, the liquid applied to the sheet is supplied from a reservoir or other liquid supply source to the nip between a smooth, resilient surfaced metering roll and a smoothly finished hydrophilic transfer roll. An abundant supply of liquid is supplied at the nip between the rolls which is metered by pressure contact between the resilient surfaced metering roll and the transfer roll to an exactly controlled film which adheres to the surface of the transfer roll, which rotates into contact with a cut sheet to apply the liquid thereto. A backup roll serves to propel the sheet through a pressure nip formed between the transfer roll surface and the surface of the backup roll. Sheet guides and feed rolls carry the sheets to and away from the pressure nip.

Liquid applicator for cut sheets

In-line printing and coating method achieves high coat weights (e.g, over 0.7 lb./1,000 sq.ft.) characteristic of blister seal operations and/or high gloss and high scuff resistance requirements, substantially without deleterious slinging. A high volume of coating is applied to a substrate by a coating cylinder supporting a resilient coating transfer surface consisting of an array of laser engraved coating-carrying indentations having substantially equal volumes that are uniformly distributed. An impression surface is positioned adjacent to the coating cylinder, positioned to impress a substrate between the coating transfer surface and the impression surface. A supply roll has a surface for applying liquid coating to the resilient transfer surface. The supply roll surface and the resilient transfer surface are in pressure contact, and adjacent surfaces of the supply roll and the coating cylinder rotate in the same direction. A metering member contacts the supply roll, so the load on the supply roll is metered before it is imparted to the resilient transfer surface. Resilient polymer and rubber surfaces carrying high volumes of coating are also disclosed. The cylinder supporting the resilient transfer surface can be advantageously used in other applications, for instance a roll of a keyless inker of an offset printing unit in a printing press.

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Carrollton, TX, United States of America

Brian M Bargenquest