Day International, Inc.

Reeves Brothers, Inc.

Mlp U.s.a., Inc.

Reeves International

Joseph L Byers

W Toriran Flint

Samuel R Shuman

Leslie Scott Hix

Michael F Stock

Timothy F Badowski

Richard C Kerr

William Haul Haddock

J Ron Yarbrough

Tony W Koons

Richard L Behnke

Vernon O'Neil Bridges

Roger D Meadows

William H Haddock

Timothy F Badowaki

Toriran W Flint

A compressible printing sleeve carrier for use in offset lithography which is formed from a composite fiber-reinforced compressible polymer is provided. The printing sleeve carrier is formed by coating reinforcing filaments with a compressible polymer and winding the filaments around a mandrel to form a hollow cylindrical base, where the first portion of the base adjacent the inner surface contains the wound reinforcing filaments coated with the compressible polymer and the second portion of the base adjacent the outer surface contains the compressible polymer.

Compressible printing sleeve carrier and method of making

A printing blanket construction is provided which includes a reinforcing fabric ply comprised of a weft insertion fabric or a heavy gauge fabric, where the reinforcing fabric ply provides all of the necessary tensioning properties to the blanket. The use of the reinforcing fabric ply eliminates the need for additional reinforcing fabric plies in the blanket construction, and provides high tensile strength, low stretch, and resistance to gauge loss.

Printing blanket construction

The present invention provides a compressible printing sleeve carrier for use in offset lithography which is formed from a composite fiber-reinforced compressible polymer. The printing sleeve carrier is formed by coating reinforcing filaments with a compressible polymer and winding the filaments around a mandrel to form a hollow cylindrical base, where the first portion of the base adjacent the inner surface contains the wound reinforcing filaments coated with the compressible polymer and the second portion of the base adjacent the outer surface contains the compressible polymer.

An image transfer product such as an offset printing blanket or sleeve is provided which comprises a very thin printing surface layer in combination with a smooth image reinforcement layer comprising a polymeric film, a fabric, or a polymer-coated fabric. The thin printing surface layer has a thickness between about 0.001 to about 0.012 inches (about 0.025 to about 0.3 mm). The image transfer product is more efficiently manufactured due to reduced solvent usage and reduced number of coating passes, and in use, exhibits uniform feed, web control, and registration characteristics.

Image transfer product including a thin printing surface layer

A printing blanket construction is provided which includes a reinforcing fabric ply comprised of a weft insertion fabric or a heavy gauge fabric, where the reinforcing fabric ply provides all of the necessary tensioning properties to the blanket. The use of the reinforcing fabric ply eliminates the need for additional fabric plies in the blanket construction, and provides high tensile strength, low stretch, and resistance to gauge loss.

An offset lithographic printing press combined with a gapped or seamed cylindrical offset printing blanket having pre-made blanket material mounted on a cylindrical sleeve is disclosed, wherein conventional, manufactured blanket material in flat form is adhered to a cylindrical sleeve to economically produce a cylindrical sleeved blanket. The leading and trailing ends of the flat blanket material are joined in close proximity such that a small gap is formed. A seam may be made with a filler material that fills the remaining gap resulting in a seamed sleeved blanket. In use, the blanket's printing surface, which excludes the gap or seam, is aligned with the printing plate's image-bearing surface. Consequently, no loss of print length results from the gap or seam.

Offset lithographic printing press having seamed sleeved printing blanket

A composite packing material for use with a printing blanket is provided including a substrate such as fabric, scrim, or film which is coated on at least one surface with a polymeric compound to provide the desired gauge to the printing blanket assembly. The resulting composite packing material has a thickness of about 0.010 to about 0.067 inches (0.25 mm to 1.7 mm) and is substantially volume non-compressible.

Composite packing material for use in offset lithography and method of making

An offset lithographic printing press combined with a gapped or seamed cylindrical offset printing blanket having pre-made blanket material mounted on a cylindrical sleeve is disclosed, wherein conventional, manufactured blanket material in flat form is adhered to a cylindrical sleeve to economically produce a cylindrical sleeved blanket. The leading and trailing ends of the flat blanket material are joined in close proximity such that a small gap is formed. A seam may be made with a filler material that fills the remaining gap resulting in a seamed sleeved blanket. In use, the seam is aligned with the non-print area on the adjacent printing plate, or the adjacent plate cylinder gap of the printing press. Being narrower than the plate cylinder gap, no loss of print length results from the seam.

A gapped or seamed cylindrical offset printing blanket having pre-made blanket material mounted on a cylindrical sleeve, and a method for making same, are disclosed, wherein conventional, manufactured blanket material in flat form made by methods known in the art is adhered to a cylindrical sleeve to economically produce a blanket. The leading and trailing ends of the flat blanket material are joined in close proximity such that a small gap is formed. A seam may be made with a filler material that fills the remaining gap resulting in a seamed sleeved blanket. In use, the seam is aligned with non-print area on the adjacent printing plate, or the adjacent plate cylinder gap of the printing press. Being narrower than the plate cylinder gap, no loss of print length results from the seam.

Seamed sleeved printing blanket

Seamed sleeved blanket and method for making and using same

A method of forming a cylindrical printing article having a unitary compressible laminate and which includes a rotatable support in the form of a cylinder. This method comprises forming a compressible laminate having upper and lower surfaces and a substantially uniform thickness from at least a printing face which forms the upper surface and a compressible layer positioned beneath the printing face. The compressible layer contains a plurality of compressible cells dispersed therein and has first and second surfaces, with the first surface bonded to an adjacent surface of the printing face. In another step, the first surface of the compressible layer is formed with a profile having a raised central portion so that the compressible layer is spaced closer to the upper surface of the printing face in the center of the laminate than at the ends. Preferably, this laminate is cylindrical and is in the form of a printing blanket or printing roller.

Method of making a printing blanket with a convex compressible layer

The present invention relates to a variable compressibility layer in rollers or flat pulleys. The present invention provides a smooth-surface roller that will 'spread' a web being conveyed by a roller, or urge flattening and prevention of wrinkles in the web. It will also assist in the centering of the web being conveyed on web-handling equipment. If a roller is small, it may be used as a flat pulley, wherein the present invention causes a belt to track in the center of the pulley.

Variable compressibility roller

A composite fabric structure comprising a plurality of warp and fill fibers or yarns forming a fabric substrate which is impregnated with a matrix material which contains a plurality of cells which impart compressibility to the fabric substrate. This fabric may be used, for example, in a composite structure for use with one or more additional layers or coatings. Articles which may be formed from the composite structure include gaskets, packing materials, flexible diaphragms or printing blankets. In the printing blankets, one or more of a vulcanized rubber layer, a fabric layer and a compressible layer may be included.

Compressible fabric substrate

A printing article which includes a rotatable metal support in the form of a cylinder and a compressible laminate mounted upon the support. The compressible laminate has upper and lower surfaces and a substantially uniform thickness and includes a printing face which forms the upper surface and a compressible layer positioned beneath the printing face. The upper surface of the compressible layer is spaced closer to the upper surface of the printing face in the center of the cylindrical support than at the ends. Preferably, this laminate is cylindrical and is in the form of a printing blanket or printing roll. The invention also relates to a method for forming the compressible laminate.

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Inman, SC, United States of America

Joseph L Byers