Goss International Americas, Inc.

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Ag

Manroland Goss Web Systems Gmbh

Michael Robert Lemelin

Mark Bernard Dumais

William Albert Charette

Lev Zlatin

Jackson Hacker Jones

Dale Hiett Jackson

Ken Francis Blaney

James Brian Vrotacoe

John Sheridan Richards

Michael Raymond Rancourt

David Crowell Emery

Gerald Roger Douillard

Eric Michael Lapine

William David Mellencamp

A plate cylinder includes a plate cylinder body having a longitudinally-extending first hole and a longitudinally extending plate-receiving gap connected to the first hole, the plate cylinder body having a longitudinally-extending second hole parallel to the first hole; and a lock-up mechanism including: a torsion bar extending in the longitudinally extending hole and having a surface for contacting an end of a plate located in the gap; a swing bar extending longitudinally in the second hole and being movable perpendicular to a longitudinal direction due to the second hole being oversized compared to dimensions of the swing bar within the second hole; a lever connecting the swing bar and the torsion bar, the torsion bar being rotatable as the swing bar moves within the second hole; and an activator for rotating the torsion bar. A printing press and methods are also provided.

Plate cylinder with plate lockup mechanism and related printing press and method

A method for determining blanket performance in a printing press is provided. The printing press includes a plate cylinder having a printing plate transferring an image to a blanket on a blanket cylinder for printing on a substrate. The method includes determining an acceptable range of nip force (Fp) between a plate cylinder and a blanket cylinder in a printing unit, calculating the nip force (Fp) between the plate cylinder and blanket cylinder and determining blanket performance based on the nip force with respect to the acceptable range of nip force. A printing press is also provided.

Method for quantifying blanket performance and printing press

A variable cutoff cylinder alignment apparatus is provided. The variable cutoff cylinder alignment apparatus includes a plate cylinder support box for supporting an exchangeable variable cutoff plate cylinder, a blanket cylinder support box for supporting an exchangeable variable cutoff blanket cylinder and an alignment stop adapted to align the blanket cylinder support box and the plate cylinder support box. The plate cylinder support box supports an exchangeable plate cam and the blanket cylinder support box includes a blanket cam. The exchangeable plate cam is capable of contacting the stop and the exchangeable blanket cam is capable of contacting the plate support box to align the blanket cylinder support box and the plate cylinder support box. The plate cylinder support box and the blanket cylinder support box are capable of aligning cylinders of different sized cutoffs. A variable cutoff offset printing press and a method of aligning printing cylinders during a cutoff change are also provided.

Variable cutoff alignment apparatus and method of aligning printing cylinders during a cutoff change

A variable cutoff printing press is provided. The printing press includes a first plate cylinder rotating at a constant angular velocity and printing on a web during each revolution about a first plate cylinder axis and a first blanket cylinder rotating at varying angular velocities during each revolution about a first blanket cylinder axis. The first blanket cylinder comes in and out of contact with the first plate cylinder during operation. A method of variable cutoff printing is also provided.

Infinitely variable cutoff printing press with constant speed plate cylinder and inker

A variable-diameter printing press cylinder is provided. The variable-diameter printing press cylinder includes a cylinder body, a first shell segment having a first circumferential end portion and a second shell segment having a second circumferential end portion. The first and second shell segments are mounted on the cylinder body via the first and second circumferential end portions. A method of varying a circumference of a cylinder in a printing press and a printing press are also provided.

Printing press with replaceable sleeve shell segments for a cylinder

A printing unit arrangement in a web-fed rotary printing press includes at least one printing unithaving a first and second plate cylinderand associated first and second blanket cylinderswhich are mechanically coupled via meshing gear wheels and which are commonly driven by one drive motor. A second printing unit of the printing unit arrangement includes a first and second plate cylinderand associated first and second blanket cylinders. The first plate cylinderand the first and second blanket cylindersare mechanically coupled via meshing gea wheels and are commonly driven by a first drive motor. The second plate cylinderis individually driven by a second drive motor, and is engageable and disengageable from the associated second blanket cylinderwhile the printing press is in operation, in order to perform flying edition changes or changes of a spot color.

Printing unit arrangement in a web-fed rotary printing press

A printing unit arrangement in a web-fed rotary printing press includes at least one printing unithaving a first and second plate cylinderand associated first and second blanket cylinderswhich are mechanically coupled via meshing gear wheels and which are commonly driven by one drive motor. A second printing unit of the printing unit arrangement includes a first and second plate cylinderand associated first and second blanket cylinders. The first plate cylinderand the first and second blanket cylindersare mechanically coupled via meshing gear wheels and are commonly driven by a first drive motor. The second plate cylinderis individually driven by a second drive motor, and is engageable and disengageable from the associated second blanket cylinderwhile the printing press is in operation, in order to perform flying edition changes or changes of a spot color.

A tucking device for tucking a printing plate into a gap of a plate cylinder includes a tucker bar having a tucking surface and at least one magnet for creating a repulsive magnetic force at the tucking surface. An actuator connected to the tucker bar is used for moving the tucker bar to tuck the printing plate into the gap.

Magnetic tucker bar for a printing press

A printing unit arrangement in a web-fed rotary printing press includes at least one printing unithaving a first and second plate cylinderand associated first and second blanket cylinderswhich are mechanically coupled via meshing gear wheels and which are commonly driven by one drive motor. A second printing unit of the printing unit arrangement includes a first and second plate cylinderand associated first and second blanket cylinders. The first plate cylinderand the first and second blanket cylindersare mechanically coupled via meshing gear wheels and are commonly driven by a first drive motor. The second plate cylinderis individually driven by a second drive motor, and is engageable and disengageable from de associated second blanket cylinderwhile the printing press is in operation, in order to perform flying edition changes or changes of a spot color.

A web-fed rotary printing press ( ) for alternatively printing, in a perfecting mode, a single web ( ) or, in a non-perfecting mode, first and second webs ( ), comprises a first impression cylinder ( ) having a plurality of first blanket cylinders ( ) and a corresponding plurality of second plate cylinders ( ) arranged along a periphery of the first impression cylinder ( ). A second impression cylinder ( ) located adjacent to the first impression cylinder ( ) has a plurality of second blanket cylinders ( ) and a corresponding plurality of second plate cylinders ( ) arranged along a periphery thereof. In the perfecting mode, the single web ( ) is passed over first impression cylinder ( ) to be printed on a first side ( ) thereof and is afterwards passed through a gap ( ) between the first and second impression cylinders ( ) to the second impression cylinder ( ) to be printed on a second side ( ) thereof. In the non-perfecting mode, the first web ( ) is passed over the first impression cylinder ( ) and the second web ( ) is passed over the second impression cylinder ( ).

Lithographic web-fed rotary printing press

The web-fed rotary offset printing machine utilizes a blanket belt onto which two or more colors are offset and which prints the two or more colors at once onto a material web. The blanket belt travels about guide rollers which have a lesser mass and/or a lesser diameter than the form cylinders which offset the colors onto the blanket belt. If several impression nips&mdash;blanket to web nips&mdash;are formed along the travel path of the material web, they are located so close to one another that fan out register errors cannot occur.

Rotary offset printing unit with rubber blanket belt and offset printing method

A printing unit has a frame and a plurality of printing cylinders, including a first plate cylinder, a first blanket cylinder, a second blanket cylinder mounted in the frame and forming a nip with the first blanket cylinder for receiving a web of material to be printed, and a second plate cylinder. A plurality of eccentric boxes are mounted on the cylinders and supported in the frame. A plurality of actuation assemblies are provided that are connected to the eccentric boxes. One of the actuation assemblies is connected to each of the eccentric boxes for moving the eccentric boxes such that the printing cylinders can be selectively positioned between a thrown-off position and an engagement position in regards to adjacent printing cylinders. Because of the use of eccentric boxes, lower rated and less complicated actuation assemblies can be used.

Mechanism for actuating the throw-off of cylinders using eccentric boxes

A printing unit arrangement in a web-fed rotary printing press includes at least one printing unit having a first and second plate cylinder and associated first and second blanket cylinders which are mechanically coupled via meshing gear wheels and which are commonly driven by one drive motor A second printing unit of the printing unit arrangement includes a first and second plate cylinder and associated first and second blanket cylinders The first plate cylinder and the first and second blanket cylinders are mechanically coupled via meshing gear wheels and are commonly driven by a first drive motor The second plate cylinder is individually driven by a second drive motor and is engageable and disengageable from the associated second blanket cylinder while the printing press is in operation, in order to perform flying edition changes or changes of a spot color.

The present invention is directed to a web fed rotary printing press which can perform a printing plate change on the fly, while preventing the printing plate from touching an associated moving blanket cylinder. In accordance with exemplary embodiments, a nip roller is used to securely press the printing plate toward the plate cylinder during printing plate replacement, such that only a small gap exists between the stopped plate cylinder and the moving blanket cylinder. As such, the entire printing unit need not be modified to account for ink train cylinder movement.

Method and apparatus for performing a flying printing plate change

A multi-color single blanket printing press for printing single or dual webs includes a pair of blanket cylinders that are movable between a contacting position and a remote position. A plurality of plate cylinders associated with each blanket cylinder apply a multi-color image to each blanket cylinder. When the blanket cylinders are in the contacting position, a web passing through the nip will receive multi-color image on both sides. When the blanket cylinders are in the remote position, a pair of webs may be passed between secondary nips formed by the blanket cylinders and a pair of secondary impression cylinders. Each of the webs may therefore receive a multi-color image on one side.

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Dover, NH, United States of America

Michael Robert Lemelin